Bohemian
Waxwing |
Dipper |
BOHEMIAN
WAXWING
Bombycilla garrulus.
Irregular but fairly numerous winter visitor.
All the records received were in respect of the first winter period, and refer to birds seen in the latter weeks of 2005, as well as additional birds at a number of different locations, and parties relocating well into spring.
Last winter’s birds around the Burley by-pass were again seen between 4th and 29th January, with a maximum count of 16 on the latter date. Birds presumably from the same flock were also seen during this period in Burley-in-Wharfedale, and west of Otley on 3rd and 5th February, when 17 were present. Elsewhere, a flock of about 40 birds was located in Saltaire on 11th January, and almost certainly the same flock, by this time estimated at 45 strong, was seen there throughout March. A presumably mobile party of 16 birds was noted in Eldwick on 13th January, but wasn’t relocated, and there were five in Ilkley on 7th February.
By March it appeared that birds were on the move, and the biggest flock was 25 in Bingley on the 25th, with 12 in Ilkley on the 15th, and singles near Addingham at the end of the month, and in a Silsden garden at the beginning (though a small party had apparently also been seen nearby).
The three April records comprised good numbers of birds. At Cliffe Castle, Keighley, 25 were in the grounds on the 11th, 30 were in Harden gardens on the 10th and 12th, and the year’s final record on the 29th comprised 42 birds in a Yeadon garden.
DIPPER
Cinclus cinclus.
Common resident breeder.
Dipper continues to be well-recorded, particularly from the stretch of the Wharfe above Bolton Bridge. However, this year produced an increased number of reports from other areas, illustrating that the species is much more widespread than some previous Reports might have suggested.
The sheer volume of reports for the stretch of the river between Bolton Abbey and Howgill makes it difficult to assess the number of adult birds present, but a figure of at least 16 would not be unrealistic. However, at least 15 different birds were seen further down the Wharfe as far as Pool, so the total number for the river as a whole must be around 30, which is getting on for double last year’s estimate. The highest day total was seven birds between Strid Wood and Barden Bridge in March and December.
More surprisingly, the Aire Valley and those adjoining it produced considerably higher numbers than before, and it is likely there were at least 20 birds here, including records from a number of new locations, such as Ponden Reservoir, Baildon Bridge, Shipley Glen, Hirst Wood and Cottingley, One observer, however, commented on the scarcity of birds on the canal in the Bingley area, compared to a few years ago. There was again a distinct lack of records for the Washburn Valley, formerly a stronghold, with only two birds seen at Lindley Bridge and Norwood Bottom. It is unclear whether this simply due to lack of coverage, or whether numbers are genuinely down.
Early and late singing males were heard on 18th January and 26th December, almost exactly the same dates as in 2005, and pairs were clearly back on territory by the middle of January. Subsequently, successful breeding was noted from Strid Wood, Barden Bridge, Leeshaw Reservoir, Goit Stock, Pool Paper Mills and Menston, and other successes doubtless went unobserved.
The agility of the species was well-illustrated by an observation from Strid Wood, where a juvenile easily outwitted the clumsy efforts of a pursuing Moorhen by constantly flitting a few metres ahead of it.
WREN
Troglodytes troglodytes
Common resident breeder.
The few reports of this bird in 2006 have been considerably boosted, as with many other common species, by the efforts of one observer, who submitted two-thirds of the 89 records received. (ES). These confirm the birds’ abundance in the area, and they were seen in every month, though mainly in twos and threes, with the only exceptions being totals of eight birds at Timble Ings in November, and nine in Strid Wood in May and October. No exceptional locations were involved, and there were only two garden records, from Otley and Ben Rhydding.
Happily, breeding evidence was much more forthcoming than in 2005. Birds
bred successfully at Howgill Wood, Norwood Bottom and Knotford Nook,
two nest sites were found in Shipley Glen, and the presence of recently-fledged
juveniles or food-carrying indicated breeding at or near Otley Chevin,
Baildon Moor, Middleton Woods and Paul Clough.
HEDGE
ACCENTOR (DUNNOCK)
Prunella modularis
Common resident breeder.
Only 11 observers submitted records (and 80% of them came from one member), so the species continues to be badly under-recorded. However, on a more positive note, records came from 21 locations (13 more than last year) and there was more breeding data.
The Otley area, including Knotford Nook, produced most of the sightings, and the others came from locations as widespread as St. Ives, Ilkley Moor, Harden Moor, Denholme Clough, Beaver Dyke Reservoir and Ogden Reservoir, which had the year’s highest count of six birds in February. Successful breeding records came from gardens in Baildon, Otley and Oakworth, and at Queensbury, Gallows Hill, and Ogden.
ROBIN
Erithacus rubecula.
Common resident breeder/winter visitor.
A considerable increase in the number of records is, as with many of the other common species, largely down to the efforts of the same individual. Again, most of these reports came from around Otley, and the balance were fairly well-distributed across the recording area. As expected, most sightings originated in woodland and gardens, and there were no unusual habitats this year. By far the most reports related to the autumn and winter months, and these produced the highest counts of 11 birds at Ogden Reservoir on 8th February, and seven at Strid Wood in October, though this number had also been there in May.
As is usual for Robins, song was heard as early as the beginning of January, and, following the breeding season, resumed at the end of August, as birds, some of them Continental visitors, established winter territories. Breeding was also much better reported than in other recent years. Evidence came from the Baildon area, Ben Rhydding, Soil Hill, Dob Park, Howgill Wood, Pool Paper Mills, Nell Bank, Norwood Bottom, and Knotford Nook, and young were ringed at Denton and Clifton.